Armor
by eeveegirly
Summary: Jellal knows when Erza is upset by if she is wearing her armor around him (One-shot!)


**Since my account was greatly lacking in Jerza I decided to make it up with some one-shots about them! Hope you like them!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail... which saddens me**

Jellal was coming to visit Erza. Normally Erza would be so excited for Jellal to come, but today something was off. Everyone in the guild noticed the change in Erza's behavior. When Gray and Natsu were fighting in the guild, Erza didn't even try to break them apart. Instead she yelled half-heartedly for them to stop fighting, not bothering to even look at them. The guild also noticed Erza hadn't changed from her armor to something more casual or a dress for Jellal's visit. Something was definitely up.

"Mira, do you know what's wrong with Erza?" Lucy asked curiously. Erza was sitting on the other side of the bar, actually drinking for a change, all by herself. Scary Erza was one thing, but Erza acting so different made the entire guild be on edge.

"I wish I did or I would help her. I have no idea what's wrong with her. Usually she's ordering cake and all excited that her boyfriend is coming. When I brought up Jellal it put her into a WORSE mood rather than better," Mira told Lucy honestly. This shocked Lucy, the mention of Jellal never makes Erza upset.

"That's worrisome," Lucy said looking at Erza worriedly. The redhead in question was downing a drink as if she wanted to drown in it. There was no question about it, something had happened to Titiana. "Maybe we should ask her what's wrong?" Lucy offered.

"I would, but I get the sneaking suspicion that Jellal needs to be the one who takes this one. So, it's a good thing he's coming today. He should be here any minute," Mira explained to the blonde mage.

"Shouldn't we warn him Erza is upset?" Lucy asked curiously. Jellal needed to know what he was walking into, an upset Erza was worse than a normal scary one. Of course, the only thing worse than both of those was a mad Erza, but luckily the redhead didn't seen mad. Long ago they had learned to be thankful of small blessings when it came to Erza Scarlet.

"No, I think he'll be able to tell pretty quickly. You don't give Jellal enough credit. He known Erza longer than any of us have," Mira reminded Lucy.

"I suppose you are right," Lucy said, but she was still worried. Right when the guild thought Erza's behavior couldn't get stranger, it did.

Natsu walked up to Erza, hand already blazing, and said, "Erza, I challenge you to a fight! We haven't fought in a while and I'm sure I'm stronger than you now." For the first time since that morning, Erza turned her head away from the bottle in her hand, to look at Natsu. The entire guild was tense, waiting for Titania's answer. If everything was at least semi-okay with Erza she would accept Natsu's challenge and the two would fight outside the guild. However, if she turned down Natsu's request they knew something was REALLY wrong.

"No," Erza said simply before turning back to the bottle in her hand. This shocked the entire guildhall, they were all so shocked the guide was- for once- completely silent. Had the great Erza Scarlet seriously just turn down a challenge?

"What? You scared or something? I expect that more from dropping eyes than you," Natsu taunted. Surely the mix of insulting Gray AND calling her chicken would get her riled up. To the guild's horror Erza lazily looked at Natsu and took a swig from her bottle. She was acting more like Cana than herself.

"I said no, so I meant no. Believe what you want, I don't care. I just don't feel like fighting today. Today is NOT a day I wish to EVER fight on AGAIN," Erza explained to Natsu, then went back to drinking. After Erza said that Mira decided it was best to look at the calendar to see what day it was. Perhaps something happened last year that made her hate today. Once Mira looked at the calendar she decided to tell Lucy her findings.

"Figure something out?" Lucy whispered to Mira. No one dared talk or be rowdy like normal, not with their Fairy Queen acting so strange. Mira nodded to Lucy, which brought Lucy some relief, but that relief soon went away when Mira spoke.

"No one knows why, but Erza normally doesn't even come to the guild at ALL today. She always stays at home and comes the next day, no matter what. This is the first time she has come to the guild on this date before, ever since she first joined. I guess now we know why, she didn't want us all to see her like this. the only question that remains, is WHY she is like this," Mira said, concern filling her voice. _Why hasn't she told anyone? I would have figured she would have least told me, Gray, and Natsu about it. We ARE a team after all, but I don't even know anything about this and it looks like no one else does either,_ Lucy thought to herself. "Guess we will have to wait and see if Jellal knows or can at least help her when he comes," Mira said with a shrug.

"Poor Erza. I wonder what has been bothering her for so long," Lucy wondered aloud, looking at the redhead with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Mira, can I have another bottle?" Erza asked Mira emotionlessly. Mira nodded and handed Erza another bottle wordlessly. Erza mumbled a quick thanks and began to drink again.

"Man, she is acting more like me than Titania," Cana muttered as she drank from the bottle she currently held. "Wonder if she is always like this today," Cana wondered aloud. _Erza never drinks except during parties and even then it is rare, she says it is unprofessional. If she does drink today away it would explain why she doesn't come in,_ Lucy thought with a sigh. Only question was what drove the redhead to drink so heavily? "Ey! Erza! Why you drinkin so much?" Cana slurred. All hushed whispers stopped and everyone stared at Cana, wondering if she had some sort of death wish or something. "What? We were all wondering it!" Cana defended. No one could disagree, so everyone turned their heads instead to Erza. Before Erza could respond someone new entered the guild. Everyone, except Erza who was back to drinking, looked toward the guildhall doors to see Jellal enter. The entire guild was once again filled with hushed whispers, much to Jellal's confusion.

"Hey Jellal! Since Erza won't fight me how about you do?" Natsu asked him, completely unaware of the tense mood in the air. Jellal looked confused, did he just say Erza refused to fight him? Erza would never turn down a fight. His gaze then turned to the woman in question, who was downing her bottle even faster now that Jellal had arrived. _Erza's drinking? Plus I see she hasn't changed out of her armor, what happened?_ Jellal wondered to himself.

"Maybe another time, I am just here to take my girlfriend out on a date," Jellal told Natsu honestly. Afterward he walked up behind Erza, hugging her from behind and kissing her neck. To his surprise she flinched when he touched her. Was she hurt or was it something else? "Something's up, you never wear your armor around me. You only wear your armor around me when something is wrong, so what's wrong?" Jellal asked her concerned. Erza didn't answered and instead glared at the empty bottle in her hand instead of answering Jellal. "Come on Erza, we can talk at the cake shop if you want. I was gonna buy you some of your favorite strawberry cake," Jellal whispered in her ear.

"I don't wanna leave," Erza said, sounding slightly drunk. _She must have been drinking most of the day. What day is today anyway?_ Jellal thought, but he thought it better to ask her here.

"Then at least go for a walk with me so we can talk alone. Something is bothering you and you can't hide it from me. You are drinking AND wearing your armor around me. Plus you don't want any of your favorite cake. Something is up and I want to know what," Jellal told her firmly. The firm note in his voice is eventually what made Erza comply with what he wanted. Slowly she got up from her chair and stumbled into his arms. Skillfully he caught her and held her close. Gently he kissed her lip before letting her go. "Let's go, something tells me we have a lot to talk about," Jellal said before taking her hand and heading out the guild doors.

The two walked in the nearby woods in silence for a while, just enjoying the nature scenery around them. It had been some time since the two of them just walked and talked, neither of them could really remember the last time very well. Walking and talking was a nice change of pace from their usual dates. "So, what is bugging you Erza? Don't say you are fine or nothing. That may work on other people but I have known you much longer and I am madly in love with you so I won't take those for answers," Jellal told her, his words sounded firm but his voice revealed his concern.

"Guess I really can't hide anything from you, even when I am wearing my armor," Erza said with a sigh before requipping out of her armor. Instead of a dress, like she would usually wear when seeing him, she picked her casual white top and blue skirt.

"Glad you figured that out, but I am even more glad to see you out of your armor. Now tell me, what made you drink at the guild? Last time I checked you hated drinking at the guild," Jellal observed.

"I do, but you were coming so I couldn't drink at home, or sulk around and cry at home, like I normally do. So to keep from sulking around a bawling the entire time I drank," Erza explained. "Do you even know what today is? I can't believe you even decided today, of all days, would be a good day to come and visit me," Erza said bitterly.

"I am afraid I do not know what today is other than a day that has made you upset. So please, enlighten me," Jellal told her. He decided to hold her closely in his arms, having a feeling she would end up crying by the end of her explanation.

"Today is the anniversary of the day you both cast me out of the Tower of Heaven for the first time and the day Natsu and I defeated you. All I can think about is how I wasn't strong enough to save you," Erza told him and, just how Jellal had predicted, she started crying. Jellal held her close and whispered sweet nothings as Erza bawled into his chest. Her stroked her scarlet red hair, remembering how he named her all those years ago. Once she started to calm down a bit more he pulled her away from him and looked into her eyes.

"Erza," he told her lovingly, "I love you more than you will ever know. You helped me through that and you HAVE saved me. Because of you I have been able to be the man I am today. Your love shows me that I am not some monster. Despite the fact I don't believe you, I still accept your love because I love you too. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you. Don't EVER think that you didn't save me because you did. You stopped me from doing something I would surely regret and lead me back into the path of light, rather than the dark that had consumed me for years. Erza, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be the man you love." Erza's eyes widened and she clung onto his shirt, burying her head into it.

"Do you mean it?" she asked childishly. Normally Erza wouldn't be so child-like, but she still was slightly drunk and touched by what Jellal had just told her.

"Every word, because I love you more than anything else. You saved me Erza. Please don't lock yourself in armor anymore around me, I don't like it," Jellal admitted to her. Finally Erza brought her head up and looked at him, her eyes still slightly watery from all the tears.

"I love you too Jellal. I promise I won't lock my heart away in armor, but only for you," Erza told him before bringing him down to kiss her. The two shared a passionate kiss and something told Erza that next year she wouldn't have near the problem with the date as she did this year. _Maybe is was a good thing Jellal came when he did after all,_ Erza thought as she let herself melt into her lover's embrace.

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